riding while hill

[Leena]

Hi everyone,

I have been riding while fighting cancer and during all that pas year, loosing strenght, shortbreath, I discovered how I was capable of starting my Canadian young gelding and having him forward, on the bit and supple with minimal aids.

I share this with you because I read too many posts where horse are questionned and very few post where riders are.

As we are the principal reasons to command the horse; I found myself I was a lot too strong in my demand and not enough clear; that very often I was forcing the horse instead of just asking and waiting.

I am quite excited by this discovery and I have been working, questionning myself and adjusting my body to the horse; the response were just so great.

Just want to share this with you ! and asking everyone how would you ride if you had no strenght ?

[Anyplace Farm]

I would just like to say how great I think it is that you are fighting cancer like you are. You must be of very strong mind which in turn will keep you physically strong.

Kick cancer's ass, baby.

[draftdriver]

I think timing and balance are the greater parts of the riding equation.

[Eclectic Horseman]

Hi elene-
I think that starting a youngster may be benefitted by having more patience than strength. You will not be in a rush to make him do more than he should--which is such a big temptation! It will be much better for him mentally and physically over the long run to have short, fun sessions and not too many times a week.

Starting this young horse could be a major benefit for you too. The benefit on the mind and body of doing something that you are passionate about cannot be overestimated.

So go for it! You can both enjoy the journey which is what it should be all about. :yes:
EH

[Leena]

Right but imagine if every rider would have burning hands and no strenght to push... I learn through my journey how impatient I was to have my horse on the bit...

I sold my dressage show mare and found her behind the bit and the legs a month after; the new proprio told me after seeing me ride her that I was in a very good shape compared to her. Too much hands, not enough seat...

I am not..I just learn how to use the horse strenght, how to wait for the horse to come in my hands and aids.

This thread is just pieces of thoughts for all of us...I am not saying you have to go through my experience to learn it unfortunately...but sometimes just to think how we don't use their strenght and in fact are going against our horse a lot of time.

(Thanks for everyone's thoughts...I am a hell of a fighter believe me)

[pintopiaffe]

Elene, you are very inspirational in *many* ways.

Baucher & the French School can be very controversial at times, but there is much to be said for the methods.

I had two defining experiences in riding which shape my thoughts on ALL disciplines now. The first was working on a 4.250 acre ranch. The work could be polar opposites--teaching 5-7 classes a day-- six to eight little 7 yos 'first timers'... or working from light to dark pushing cows or fixing fences or such. Both required that the horse do what you tell it to do until you tell it to do something else. Expecting the horse to take responsibility for it's movement and propulsion. Anything else would just become exhausting in the circumstances we worked.

And then I met my breeding mentor. She bred hunters. True fox hunting hunters *and* show hunters. Her gift was making children's hunters--the commonality? They did what you told them to do until you told them to do something else. And they went with honest, forward gaits, even when the young rider was little more than a passenger.

She was not a spring chicken when I met her, and at one point was coming back from a serious shoulder injury. She rode a very hot Tk mare with Walter Zettl, and it pretty much changed every idea I had about dressage. The horse was incredibly light, and steady and at Liberty en parole' (sorry about the spelling?)

I am not saying that very big, athletic horses don't take very athletic rides. But careful, thinking training can also create a horse that is light, balanced, and does not need to be ridden every step. Of course if you want tempi's--you change aids every stride. But a horse can (and IMO, should) be expected to continue doing what you tell it to do, until you tell it to do something else.

Of course, the magic is in telling it to do it *right* :lol:

[Blkarab]

I just wanted to say.....WAY TO GO! :winkgrin:

You are an inspiration to be riding and dealing with cancer!

I really liked your advice on being softer and taking the responsibility for our actions when it comes to riding our horses. I have an instructor who is phenomenal in this....where the goal of riding is first and foremost being soft with the aids.

I will take your words to heart the next time I ride, and try to be a softer, kinder passenger to my mare.

[Asmac]

Leena you inspire me! I can relate (somewhat) to your words. How many of us have ridden when we were mentally and physically spent but yet have had the best rides of our lives? Maybe it is because when we lack the strength to pull -thus the horse has nothing to pull against.

Thank you for making me think from a different prospective. Keep riding friend! A

[Equibrit]

You GO girl!

[Leena]

Equibrit...You see how great you are as motivator ! Many thanks for your good words throughout this past year !!!

Frankly, I feel gratefull to have been able to find riding easier and simple through such a disease and treatments.

[Equibrit]

As usual, Equibrit brings little to the party except a snotty answer.




Careful now - I have to keep my "snotty bitch" reputation intact!

[Leena]

Careful now - I have to keep my "snotty bitch" reputation intact!

Oh Dear !!!

[Leena]

Thanks everyone !

So my intention with this thread was to leave something to riders; my discoveries with starting younster or riding my dressage mare brought me to the fact that basically dressage riding is quite easy.

What is not easy is to find the best interface with the horse, to analyse what's belong to the horse and what's belong to the rider.
What is education issues, riders issues, horse mental issues.

What I found really hard is timing, my own coordination and the right dosage of pressure. This is a challenge, a real one. And as we go upper level, I now believe this is all those reasons that make us having problems, facing walls, struggling.

I am having a big allergic reaction to chemio so I am hardly walking since saturday night; steroid are now keeping the inflammation on low level and my young gelding is on turn out. I hardly experience invalidity and it is a challenge for me, used to cope with pain.

Take care of yourself everyone !

And God bless your health !

[draftdriver]

Leena, steroids can be a silver bullet. They are what's keeping me mobile and able to enjoy my horses, although at a reduced level than I used to be able to. I know they have serious side-effects; has your doctor recommended calcium supplements? If not, and you are on steroids long-term, please inquire about this. Best wishes.

[Leena]

Draftdriver...no it is just for 3 days and actually my calcium bone have been checked lately and it is fine.
I am taking calcium all the time.

Thanks to point that out !

[dutchmike]

You must one hell of a tough lady. Fighting cancer and continuing doing what you enjoy. I have to take of my hat for people like you as they are an inspiration.

[Leena]

Dutchmike,

Yes I am and have been all my life. My ombilical hole is not big so not much place to complaint in !

Heres 2 video of me riding this fall; one with my show mare on retraining after being pregnant, so off for a good year, and one with my Canadian 3 yrs old young chick with about 12 hours under saddle. So I have no strenght, no energy when I am riding these horses and I had to soften my aids, get them the more precise possible to use minimal aids to ride.

With the young chick we were still looking for rythm and forward movement while Leena was just trying to find back her whole body.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm4a-OmA8d0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5LMbd8TW8k

Enjoy !

[Blkarab]

:cool:I had a lesson today and kept the visualization in my mind that I was lacking strength---that my shoulders and elbows were wet noodles (this is usually where I get tight and tense) and low and behold it worked!:winkgrin: I had a more rounded ride, horse was carrying the bit nicely in his mouth. When I started to get a bit tense, I remembered that I "had no strength".

So---a very big thank you for the visualization and the thread! I will continue to keep this image in my mind when I ride.


I hope you are doing well with your treatments and that you will be healthy again soon!

Blkarab

[Leena]

Blkarab,

I am glad this helps you !

My health is not very good but thanks for your good words. All that support is greatly appreciate !

[Hazelnut]

Nice horses...you have incedible will...enjoy each and every ride!

[Leena]

Thanks Hazelnut,

Yes they are nice horses; Leena is now in other hands and having fun. Panthère is still with me, learning a bit more, growing a bit more...

I believe everything I have said is written, has been covered largely by trainers, instructors.

We live in a society where brain is used more than ever and we do forget how important body, weight proportion and interaction is important. Like in Judo, we have to find a way to ride our horse simply, stay effective without getting into resistance because we control them with our brain instead of learning to use their weight to get into the dance.

In my case, the disease force me to came to this, to change for the best, to have my horse more happy, less resistant, more forward, moving more freely. For me this gave me enough to save the minimal energy I have to ride 2 horses a day, and still be alive for the rest of my day things.

Having now confidence in my horses..they won't bolt anymore, don't fly out of my aids, This was the test !

A little picture of my young chick a month after the video, ridden about 20 minutes 2 or 3 times a week; I found this was my gift !

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h148/Leena_photos/IMG_0006.jpg

Take care of all of you and enjoy !

[hitchinmygetalong]

Thank you, Leena. Your posts are most definitely "food for thought" in more ways than one. When I hear of someone who is fighting so hard for their health, it makes me stop and be very thankful for my good health. And watching your videos with your soft, soft hands and steady leg makes me stop and think about my punishing, immobile hands and my unsteady legs.

Best wishes always,

"Hitch"

[grayarabpony]

Elene,
I admire your fighting spirit and am so happy for you that you can still ride and are enjoying it so much.

Hitch expressed my own thoughts on this as well as I can. It is true that often less is more -- I had an instructor one time who told me during a lesson "You were yelling at her -- now you are talking to her." He was right. I just wish these ephiphanies would stick! Those who can hold onto these realizations separate the really good riders from us lesser mortals.

[Leena]

Thanks !

Well, since the purpose what to share with you guys, how I found ways to improve my riding in my lost of strenght, my communication with horses, effectiveness of my aids...I am glad you all like it.

I am not capable to sustain a lesson, a clinic unfortunately...I find I get tense, wants to hear and retain those precious informations. When my brain gets tense, the rest follow and I get so tired, with no good results since my horse does not know what is going on either, so he gets also tense. Now I am a strong believer that we hold too much, especially when we think a single second of controlling by our brain.

I am now looking eventually (if I could heal), for more fitness, more balance, more cardio work for me so I will be able to let go more, and be more in the dance.

Lots of challenge ahead ! thanks for your good words and thoughts for healing.

Every one single thought is making a big difference to me and I look at it as the major magic spirit.

God bless heart on this earth and our horses's spirit !

[HXF]

Elene, you are an inspiration - for hope, happiness and health. Thank you for posting, we're all cheering for you.

[SillyHorse]

:cool:I had a lesson today and kept the visualization in my mind that I was lacking strength---that my shoulders and elbows were wet noodles (this is usually where I get tight and tense) and low and behold it worked!:winkgrin: I had a more rounded ride, horse was carrying the bit nicely in his mouth. When I started to get a bit tense, I remembered that I "had no strength".

So---a very big thank you for the visualization and the thread! I will continue to keep this image in my mind when I ride.


I hope you are doing well with your treatments and that you will be healthy again soon!

Blkarab
My ride today was very different after reading this. Thank you for sharing your visualization, Blkarab.

Leena, I hope your health improves and that you have many, many more happy hours in the saddle.